Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris turning voters away: Poll
Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris after the presidential debate with Donald Trump, appears to be a double-edged sword. A post-debate poll by YouGov revealed that while 8% of voters were swayed by Swift's support, a significant 20% were less inclined to vote for Harris due to the pop star's endorsement. Additionally, the majority (66%) stated that Swift's political stance would not influence their voting decision in November.
Swift's endorsement: A mixed bag of reactions
Swift had announced her support for Harris on Instagram, describing her as "a steady-handed, gifted leader." The YouGov poll further revealed that 32% of respondents believed Swift's endorsement would positively impact Harris's campaign. However, 27% felt it would have no effect. What's more, 41% of the participants said that Swift should not publicly discuss politics, while 38% supported her making public endorsements.
Swift's endorsement boosts voter registration traffic
According to reports, Swift's endorsement significantly increased traffic to the voter registration website vote.gov. A spokesperson reported that 337,826 visitors accessed vote.gov via a custom link shared by Swift on Instagram. Overall, 46% of people thought Harris won the debate, 19% said Trump, and only 6% said it caused them to reconsider their vote, while 76% said it didn't, according to YouGov.
Check out the poll here
Harris campaign capitalizes on Swift's endorsement
Following Swift's endorsement, the Harris campaign has been leveraging this support. They have announced pre-orders for Swift fan-inspired friendship bracelets as part of their campaign merchandise. Additionally, progressive group MoveOn.org is selling Swift-themed T-shirts with the phrase "In My Voting Era," which quickly became their fastest-selling item this year. Voters of Tomorrow is also teaming up with the group, "Swifties for Harris," on a phone bank on Saturday to reach out to college students in Georgia and Wisconsin.
Does celebrity endorsement make a difference?
Celebrity endorsements have influenced US elections in recent times. According to a 2008 Northwestern University research, Oprah Winfrey's endorsement helped Barack Obama gain a million votes. However, a 2010 North Carolina State University study concluded that George Clooney and Angelina Jolie's celebrity endorsements had minimal impact on politics. Celebrities who have shown support for Trump include billionaires like Elon Musk and Steve Wynn, former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, UFC President Dana White, among others.
